Tag Archives: marketing study

We were discussing the use of surveys for successful lead generation. Wording your questions properly and putting them in a specific order is important.

Here are some hints on creating successful surveys (studies):

1.) Keep the survey/study to 10 – 14 questions which take less than 3 minutes to answer.

2.) The first question needs to be a “lead in question.” It should be a natural progression to what was said or written before. If possible, it is best if it is a “yes/no” question with the natural answer to be “yes.” The prospect should not have to think long or hard to answer it.

3.) The second, third and fourth questions should also be easy ones for the prospect to answer. They should in no way seem “nosy” or “sales-y.” If they require a “yes/no” answer, it is best if 90% of the time the answer is “yes.” Starting a survey/study off with a “no” is not good.

If these questions are not “yes/no” questions, it is best to make them multiple-choice. This keeps the prospect from having to think too hard, but giving them choices will engage them. Getting them engaged early in the survey is key. Engagement happens when they feel “good” about answering the questions… so taking the “research” approach most often works best – with some general questions about the purpose of the study.

At least by the third or fourth question, you should begin to feel comfortable asking questions that directly relate to your need of finding out information that will help you determine whether or not this prospect is a good prospect for you.

4.) The next five – seven questions should relate directly to uncovering pains, determining if/how you might be able to help the prospect. But, they need to be worded in a way that you don’t seem like a salesperson. TRULY, you are trying to determine if how you can help.

5.) The final questions should help close in on level of interest… they might be:

– If there would be solution to ___________ – over the next two weeks – would you have 15 minutes to discuss this?

– Assuming there would be a system that would solve some or all of ________________, how much would it be worth to you? Could you budget… (Give multiple choice ranges of $ amounts for budget)

– Ok, I’ll will pass this information along to the research team. If they have a couple more quick questions or if someone sees there is a potential fit, in the next few days, would it be ok if they give you a quick jingle?

– Would you possibly be interested in taking 15 – 20 minutes to see a demo/webinar that shows how a system might benefit a _____________ such as yours?

These are some ideas… the important thing to remember is to be very careful not to come across as a salesperson. Think about how you would like to be surveyed if you were in the prospects shoes. The other important things is… get in the frame of mind that you truly are looking to help and to do that you are uncovering needs.

As I mentioned in my last blog post, surveying your target market can demonstrate that you are truly interested in the success of their industry.

Developing an appropriate survey is dependent on:

1.) The needs of your target audience

2.) How your product/service solves those needs

3.) Developing the right approach to demonstrate the benefits you can provide

If you have a list of prospects with whom you are regularly emailing, doing an email survey might be the place to start. As with any email, the subject line is critical. It is important not to come across as if you are selling something. Your subject line might be:

– Help solve (one of the noted pains in the industry you are targeting) OR
– Do you have a solution for (one of the noted pains) OR
– Solving (the pain) yields more profits

Then, if you can, in the body of your email immediately tie your “story line” to the subject line. In this way, the reader will feel satisfied right away that you are truly continuing with what grabbed their attention.

Your story might be an example of a client’s success. It could be some statistics that show when (the pain) is solved what it yields. It is important to be short and informative… don’t get off subject. Your reader is busy and is reading to obtain some value or satisfaction.

Whatever your “story” might be, it should lead to prompting them to take the online survey. Try to give them a compelling reason to do this. Tell them how it can help them potentially solve a pain of their own. Think about it from their perspective… So that even if they don’t know you, they will see benefit in taking the 1 – 2 minutes to complete the survey.

If you don’t already have an email list, your best next step might be to cold call a list of prospects. You might be thinking… “no way!” Stay tuned… It isn’t as hard as you think… especially if you truly care about helping your target audience…

For any B2B Lead Generation program, it is critical to know the specific person or company type that you need. Think in terms of industry type, company size, position(s) within the company, personality type, annual sales volume of the company, and multi or single locations.

Ask yourself these questions:

1.) Who needs my product/service?

2.) Who knows they need what I am offering?

3.) Who realizes the value in hiring an expert for my service?

The answer to these questions might be a perfect fit for your particular product or service. Try to build a “persona” around the ideal prospect you want.

Then, take that persona and create a list. Your list can come from companies you already know, from online searches, and/or from a list company.

In today’s market, it is not difficult to get a list created around your “persona” or criteria. You can search online for “mailing list” and you will get thousands of results.

However, be careful as some of these companies are not reputable. Find out if they keep their lists current and clean and/or if they have statistics on their “return” rates. Look for reviews online and see what others are saying about them.

Knowing your target and then getting a good list is critical to any B2B lead generation campaign.

If you need help creating your “persona” or finding a list, feel free to call us at (815) 692-3710 or email us here.

Business lead generation is a very important part of the success of any company. Without it, there is little chance for growth, let alone survival.

Granted, lead generation is not often “easy.” However, because it is so important, the key is to find the best ways to make it a natural, comfortable, and positive part of the business.

First, a whole lot depends on management’s perspective of lead generation. A first step – a critical step – is for management to place emphasis and importance on the role of lead generation and reward those who work hard to bring in the business (not just the sales people, but also those in marketing).

The acknowledgement from the top down that marketing/lead generation is important for business can do wonders for results!

Secondly, find a comfortable approach. Consider your business… consider your target market… how do they think? what is important to them? what would get their attention? Develop an approach that is comfortable for both you and them. This could take some deep thought and creative thinking. Brainstorm with everyone who plays a part in this critical task.

Thirdly, put together an overview of steps. Plan it out from start to finish. Don’t worry about writing up a 24 page document. Just outline the steps. Make it clear for everyone. Get started!

Step #4 – Team up with a buddy. Following the outlined steps, set goals together. Hold one another accountable. It helps!

Finally, REWARD yourself! Set the rewards ahead of time. “If XXXX happens, then I will get to take off an hour early…etc.” Cherish every success. Let your buddy know. Celebrate together if you can.

Follow these five steps and you will watch your business lead generation program grow!

Looking for “Qualified” business? We have some ideas for some lead generation techniques to use.

We are believers in direct lead generation techniques… reach out and talk to and meet with your business prospects. When you actually talk to them, you can more easily sense their attitude toward what you are discussing.

Think about your prospects… if you were them…. how would you like to be approached? Pretend you have a list of cold prospects… ones you have never seen or met before.

Do some research on what their company offers, review their website, ask others who may know or have been in contact with them about what they know. Try to learn the name of the decision maker before you make your first contact.

When you have enough information about them to make an informative call, plan out how you want the conversation to go. Try to be sure that you have a way that can benefit them, or if you don’t, make sure you plan to ask them specific questions for you to determine how you can help.

Then call them with one of these lead generation techniques:

1.) If you don’t know how – right off – how you can help them, do a quick study with 10 or few questions. For more information, read our blog post about Surveying to Get Results.

2.) If you know how you can help, ask them if they have 2 1/2 minutes for you to share with them how they might be able to _______________________ (how you can help)?

3.) Or, ask them right off if they have time to meet to learn (how you can help)?

4.) Or, ask them if (how you can help) is an issue for which they are looking for solutions. You would like to see if your services are a fit for them. Would they have XXX amount of time to discuss?

The key to the success of any of these lead generation techniques is being prepared when you make the call. A direct lead generation campaign like this is a great way to yield results quickly if you have your “ducks in a row!”

For a few more marketing tips, download our 2012 e-paper!

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